At the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Task Force joined with UNITE HERE, NOW, the AFL-CIO, the NFL Players Association and additional progressive and LGBT organizations to speak in support of a global boycott of Hyatt hotels due to worker’s rights abuses and low wages.

Task Force Deputy Executive Director Darlene Nipper said:

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has long stood with labor, and we do so again today, this time in support of the hard-working housekeepers who have called for a global boycott of Hyatt in response to the company’s low wages and abuse of workers. We stand here because all people deserve the right to find and keep a job in a safe work environment, with a living wage.

We stand here because we are workers too. And, as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – particularly those of color – we are acutely aware of what it means to be economically vulnerable. Every day, many of us fear that we may lose or be denied a job simply because of who we are or who we love, due to a lack of federal LGBT employment protections. Any abuse and discrimination of workers should never be tolerated, which is why we are here today.

Your support of The Unite call for a boycott of Hyatt is absurd. Hyatt has years of history of receiving nothing but 100% scores in HRC equality rating of employers. Hyatt has been recognized by the NAACP for its open workplace. Hyatt’s annual confidential employee surveys done by Gallup have cause Gallup to give Hyatt the 2012 Great Work Place Award. This is a confidential survey from these “low wage and abused workers.” I am ashamed of your jumping in without researching the issue. I am gay and have always supported National Gay & Lesbian Task Force but I will no longer extend that support. As a gay leader in my community I will publicly encourage others to also pull back any support that they may have given the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force in the past. Hyatt has created HyPride just this year to openly support our GLBT needed within Hyatt and within our local communities that Hyatt is a part of. Hyatt exceeds most other employers in its open support of diversity, its open door policy for all of its employees its active Human Resource department ensuring a fair work place environment for all and fair and competitive wages You are on the wrong side of this issue and I have lost all respect for your organization. You have lost your way and your decision process is now not to be trusted. Unites has made fools of you or shown that you are now led by fools. Your energy and name should be used to fight employers who discriminate or abuse its employees, not to blindly support organized labor who’s objectives should not be the same as yours. Before you put your name into any hat you need to make sure that it is your fight. You are on the wrong side of this one, boycotting the employer who’s culture and policies that you wish other employers would emulate.